Photodetectors, photodetector arrays and image intensifiers find a wide range of applications. By way of non-limiting example, high photon detection sensitivity facilitates night vision, long range flash light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and many other applications, while high resolution large format focal plane arrays are desirable for high-definition imaging. High resolutions generally require improved sensitivity, since each imaging pixel receives less light as the pixel count increases.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,067,853, issued Jun. 27, 2006, entitled IMAGE INTENSIFIER USING HIGH-SENSITIVITY HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTODETECTOR ARRAY, in which the inventor of the subject application proposes achieving higher sensitivity through higher amplification gain than avalanche photodiodes (APDS) not operating in a Geiger mode. Nonetheless, it is now believed to be useful to further improve gain, reduce dark current and dark current noise, and to improve device uniformity, reliability and manufacturing yields.